Setting goals, being open to new challenges and my NYC Marathon journey.
In 2023 I set a goal for myself to run a Half Marathon in 2024.
It seemed a pretty crazy idea at the time considering I had only started running again in July 2023 after almost 10 years since my last proper 10km race (which ended with me limping after 5km and unable to walk properly for days). I thought I hated running and wasn't built for it. Additionally, I was already enjoying my training schedule which included cycling, weight lifting and yoga. I really thought I didn't need nor have time to add another sport or activity, let alone commit to a training schedule to be able to comfortably run 21km. It was when I joined a group of colleagues for a lunch-time run 'to the Big Ben and back' that my world started to shift. I was enjoying and looking forward to my weekly run club appointment so much that I signed up for the London Landmarks Half Marathon 2024 and consequently started a training plan with Runna. What I enjoyed the most during that training block was the long runs I planned for the weekends. I took them as an opportunity to explore different parts of London and other cities I was visiting. I found that running was an excellent way to get to know the less familiar corners and less known streets (away from the tourist crowds) and kept me entertained and surprised most of the time. On 7th April I achieved my goal, finishing the LLHM in 1 hour 57 minutes and 28 seconds.
At the finish line I savoured the personal satisfaction after months of hard work in the sunshine, in the rain, in freezing cold or milder temperatures, at any given time of the day. I had once more proven to myself that no matter how easy or difficult the task is, when I set my mind to it, dedicating time and effort to the journey, I can really achieve anything. Naturally, I started wondering if I could run a full marathon too.
The opportunity to run the New York Marathon came along and I went for it without thinking about it twice. It wasn’t on my original 2024 plans but I am of the idea that nothing in this life is static and fixed. We grow and transform by setting goals whilst embracing life one day at a time, following plans whilst keeping an open heart and mind to say yes to 'crazy' ideas and surprising ourselves along the way.
So there I was: training for a full Marathon. I took the challenge seriously and wanted to make sure I was fully prepared mentally as well as physically. Some might say that what I did is a bit extreme but, my answer to them would be 'you do you'. I am not here to tell anyone what they should or shouldn't do with their life, time and energy. Like all things you can take inspiration or not at all.
Things I did to prepare for training and race day.
I booked a stress test ECG. I grew up in Italy where this type of test is normally done for every athlete. It used to be a routine yearly test during my show jumping competition years but the GP and cardiologist in the UK were of the opinion it wasn't needed. They ultimately caved in and, once the results came back, the all clear gave me peace of mind.
I booked a gait analysis to assess my running technique and identify any particular imbalances I needed to work on.
I booked a shoe assessment to make sure I was running using the best shoes for my type of feet.
I chose a physiotherapist specialised in running who was able to work with me to personalise my strength training, accessory exercises and plyometrics, working with my personal needs, form and goals.
I continued to cycle to work, practice yoga, mobility and strength train at least 3 times a week. I am a true believer of the benefits of cross training.
I made sure I was eating enough to sustain my increased training load to reduce the risk of injury and have the fuel I needed to perform well.
I did my best to sleep at least 8 hours every night.
Naturally I stopped drinking alcohol too (though I did have the occasional drink when I felt like it) because it disrupted sleep and therefore my training schedule.
I also made sure to have rest days and avoid overtraining.
Once I had my support system in place and a training plan, I stuck with it for 20 weeks. Of course it wasn't perfect and there were weeks where life (personal and work) got in the way, but I always reminded myself that it was ok. I was doing my best and one lost session in the middle of a lot of completed ones wasn't going to be the end of the world.
If you followed me on Instagram and Strava during those 20 weeks you will have seen my weekly updates. I was particularly generous and overshared at times but it was important for me especially because I was not just simply training. Running as part of Fred's Team and the Bloomberg 1000 team, I raised close to $6,000 as an individual and over $600,000 as a team, for the groundbreaking work Memorial Sloan Kettering Center does every day to get closer and closer to a world without cancer. I had many wonderful supporters and am ever so grateful to them for their contribution to making the world a better place to live and thrive in.
New York turned into what I imagine an olympic village must be like the days that preceded the Marathon and it made everything feel even more special and surreal. I arrived in NY on 30th October to give myself some time to adjust to the time zone shift and carb load with all the bagels, pizza and pasta that the city has to offer. Of course I also had a little shakeout run in Central Park and enjoyed the pretty autumnal colours at that time of year. The park was full of runners ready to take on the city's boroughs in a few days from there and many shops, bakeries and other businesses had special discounts for marathoners or a product made especially for the marathon. What a treat! (If you're interested in a New York guide on where to eat and what to see and do, let me know in the comments below!)
Before I get to race day, I want to mention the expo! This was when things really started to feel real for me. I was actually in NY to run THE MARATHON. The Expo took place at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center and hosted one of the largest running exposition in the country (if not in the world, though I am sure the other World Marathon Majors' expos are as big as the NY one). Apart from all the pop ups from the most famous and up and coming running brands selling their services and products and giving away freebies, only a few things were particularly precious for me. If you know me well, I am not a ‘material girl’ and actually didn't buy or pick up anything, apart from the official orange Marathoner jumper I am wearing in the pic below, because I had already come to New York with everything I needed to race.
The first thing that made me shed a tear and tremble a little was picking up my race bib number. 37723. Emily Fontana. It had my name on it. I was going to run a marathon. Me. The one who a year ago hated running.
The second thing was picking up the Fred's Team wristband and meeting the lovely team who I had been fundraising with. They gave Edo one of their orange jumpers, pompons and a cow bell to cheer for me loudly on the course. At this point I was feeling a mix of emotions - joy and sadness - love and grief - peace and anger - but above all, gratitude and hope. The greater WHY printed on the back of the jumper.
"IMAGINE A WORLD WITHOUT CANCER".
Yes, we can do that and we can contribute to making it happen. I felt powerless but also a superwoman at the same time.
The third was seeing my name printed on the 2024 New York Marathon wall alongside that of over 50,000 other people and a few Fontana's which left me wondering if I am even remotely related to any of those with my same surname. I felt so lucky and proud to be there. This was going to be the coronation of one of the biggest challenges so far in my life. I had already put in the work and was going to enjoy the celebratory final run. I have to confess, although it could sound like it, it wasn't all nice and easy. Whilst I was enjoying all the food and activities we had planned (including a NY pizza slice tour engineered by Edo), a few things were not exactly going as I had planned them to because not everything is in our control in this life. Firstly, I was not sleeping very well those days (probably due to pre-race anxiety, air-con being too high in the room, and I felt I was coming down with something). Even if I was still hitting 8 hours of sleep, I didn't feel like I had deep restful and regenerative sleep. I was also in the luteal phase of my cycle and my period was due on race day (yay!). Thankfully I don't usually suffer from period cramps and pains and I certainly don't let it stop me from training but I do check in and listen to my body. Of course, if I (like all other women) could have chosen to run the Marathon in a particular phase of the cycle, I would have chosen the follicular phase, but I personally don't want to force change a natural cycle at the cost of my health. I was determined that none of this was going to ruin my experience which I had worked so hard for. I had put in the training so I was going to give it my all. No matter what. The day before the Marathon I prepared my kit to make sure I didn't forget anything on the early hours of the big day. Top tip: don't use anything that you haven't already tried and tested in training.
My race kit essentials
Salomon Active Skin Vest - this is where you can keep everything you need on your run whilst keeping your hands free.
Lululemon High Support Sports Bra
Lululemon Hotty Hot Running Shorts
Lululemon Swiftly Tech Long Sleeve or T-Shirt
Lululemon running cap (great for both sunny or rainy days)
Anti blisters running socks
Polar Vantage V3 watch
Skratch Labs electrolytes
Veloforte energy Chews
Maurten Gel 100
Running Shoes (I love my Saucony Tempus W but you should find the pair that works best for you)
Oakley sunglasses
Sanitary pads and tissues (if it's that time of the month)
Old warm clothes to donate at the start line (these are essential to keep warm before the race)
I also packed away my breakfast and snacks knowing there would have been a few hours gap between waking and running.
3rd November 2024 finally arrived. It was NYC Marathon day! I was so ready for it. It will live forever in my head and my heart. There were moments of pure electric joy and excitement and moments full of raw emotions. I'll take you down memory lane with me.
4:30am - the alarm went off and I wasn’t feeling as energised as I would have wanted to be at this point. I had barely slept and could feel a cold creeping in. My Polar watch also measured a higher overnight temperature than normal but I shifted the mental dial and switched on super woman mode. Everything was laid out in front of me and I was ready to get going and celebrate my longest and hardest run so far in my life.
5:00am - I was making my way to Times Square to meet the Fred’s Team and Bloomberg crew for a group picture before boarding our bus to Staten Island. I completely lit up at this point and the excitement was uncontrollable which made me forget about everything and just enjoy every moment from there onwards.
5:45am - we boarded the bus and began our journey to the start line. I ate a whole Levain Bakery Chocolate and Peanut Butter cookie (carbs and fats for fuel) whilst chatting to the team, escorted to Staten Island by the NYPD (we were the city’s celebrities for the day)! The sunrise overlooking the bay was mesmerising and crossing the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, which was soon going to be closed for the race, was a true ‘pinch me’ moment. I felt so grateful and appreciative of the life I am living and the opportunities I wasn't afraid to say yes to.
7:00am - we finally arrived to the start village in Fort Wadsworth, Staten Island, heaving with excited runners ready to take on the streets and boroughs of New York. Fred's Team had arranged a basic tent which was considerably warmer than the temperature outdoors and gave us the opportunity to distract our minds before the start. Following on the advice not to try anything new on race day, I had diligently packed a jar of almond butter and jam and compostable cutlery, ready to spread on the bagels which were kindly offered by the charity. I was happy nothing went to waste as I shared them with other peers. We all had a couple of hours to kill before our start wave but needed to make sure we were not wasting much energy, keeping hydrated and warm. The time was passing slowly and fast at the same time. Everyone was ready to get going on their feet.
10:00am - wave 1 and 2 were already well under way and as soon as they announced wave 3, I left the tent and started walking to the orange corral, slowly shedding off layers. Big clothes collection bins were placed everywhere in the village, by the corral entrance and on the way to the start line. I finally let go of all the clothes that kept me warm and was ready to run. The temperature was around 8 degrees celsius but there was a glorious sun. As I had a tickling sore throat, I kept my Fred's team jumper wrapped around my neck (looking back I looked more like a girl scout than a runner but it provided comfort). I was really happy and emotional and couldn't stand still anymore.
10:20am - it was time. As we walked towards the start line, the USA National Anthem was blasting through the speakers and then just minutes before the start, tears started streaming down my face to the sound of Frank Sinatra’s New York, New York. Was it real or was it a dream? I thought many times about how running the official marathon would feel and be like and there I was. The time had come and I was ready to start running up the Verrazzano bridge. I was emotional but calm and was determined to stick to my plan to start at a slower pace. I heard stories about the run through the bridge and it was truly incredible. At one point I thought Batman was going to make his way through us as I noticed a helicopter flying the sky above and a NYPD car blasting ACDC's "Highway to Hell" from the megaphones - the police man also seemed to be having the best day of his life on the job, dancing and singing his heart out to keep us company on the bridge!
From there it all happened slowly but also very fast. I smiled and cried. I looked up to the sky to find strength in the memory of those who are no longer with us, stolen from this earth too early. I kept going strong thinking of those who are fighting for their life every day, you will beat it. I was sticking to my fuelling plan using Maurten gels and Veloforte gummies which I used through the training block and knew my gut could tolerate them. I refilled water at the water stations scattered around the course whilst drinking from the soft bottle snuggled at the front of my running vest.
What was the hardest part? I hear you ask. The bridges were truly hell on earth. New York’s route had a significant elevation gain of 296m (taken from my Strava stats) which is 10 times more than my typical runs. It wasn’t just the uphill sections that were challenging. The downhill parts were as bad. I couldn’t keep a consistent pace in these sections and had to slow it a bit down uphill and try not to speed too much on the way down. What was also terrifying was seeing the crowds die down and then eventually we were alone on the bridges. I hadn’t appreciated how much the crowds can push you forward. As we lost them and silence crept in, all you can hear is the heavy stomping of feet on tarmac and swearing from left right and centre. People were in pain and I chuckled every time I heard an Italian (there were so many) swear. I will never forget the scene of a man stopping at the top of Willis Avenue Bridge, turning around to read it’s name on the overhead signage and scream “Wills Avenue Bridge, l’anima de li mortacci tua” which is a roman saying that literally translates into “the soul of your dead ones” and that basically means “what the hell!”.
What was the best part? Realising I was not going to give up at any point because my mental strength is the greatest power I have refined over the months of training. But also, I loved loved loved seeing my family at mile 8 (in Brooklyn), mile 20 (in the Bronx) and mile 25 (in Manhattan’s Central Park). I got a massive boost of energy from seeing my wonderful supporters! Edo, Zia, Zio, Gabs and Gus were all there following me through the route, cheering me loudly until the very end. It helped me massively because I knew I had to get to the next milestone to see them, wave at them, send them kisses and get to the finish line so we could go celebrate all together. I also knew a lot of people were following me from afar, trying to track my steps on the app. I wanted to make myself and them proud! After the last check point with my loved ones at mile 25, I told myself I had only one mile left to go. I must say that was also a very tough part because in my head I thought I had about 1km to go (easy right?) whereas it was more like 2km to go (also easy right?). After 40km, 2km feel like forever but the finish line was so close. I pushed through and when I could finally see the arrival I started crying of disbelief. I made it strongly to the finish line. Lots of people congratulate you, they hand over the medal and a warm poncho, a bag full of water and snacks and leave you walk towards the exit. Of course I was just incredulous and so damn proud of myself for accomplishing such a task. After I recomposed myself a little, I made a quick video call back home and there were all gathered there together, also emotional and tearful - my mum, dad, sister, nonna, nonno. I was the luckiest person in the world and so so grateful to be surrounded by a loving family and partner. I met the NY gang outside the Lincoln Center which allowed me to continue to walk for a good half hour, before heading to the hotel for a stretch and shower and then out for dinner to properly refuel and celebrate.
Long story short, on 3rd November 2024 I completed the New York City Marathon, after 20 weeks of structured training. I had a finish time in mind (which was not far from what I accomplished) but I wanted to first and foremost have fun and complete it injury free. It was going to be my Personal Best anyway! New York, in 4 hours, 7 minutes and 56 seconds, was my first Marathon, my first Abbott Major Marathon and will not be the last one. A marathon teaches you many lessons which made me stronger overall. As Frank Sinatra reminded me at the start line: “if I can make it here, I can make it anywhere, New York, New York”!
As 2024 draws its curtains I invite you to join me in creating your 2025 goals list. Here are a few questions you can ask yourself to reflect and set priorities. Be honest in the responses as you don’t have to share them with anyone. Let go of social pressures and deeply connect with who you truly are what you really want.
Self Reflection
What did you enjoy doing this year?
What did you miss?
What small or big lessons did you learn from yourself and/or others?
What was/were your biggest win/wins? Why?
What was/were your biggest failure/s? Why?
What did you let go of/lose this year? Was it intentional?
What habits are you keeping and what are you letting go of?
What fears or self-limitations have held you back?
When/where/with who do you feel the happiest and truest self in your day?
Am I holding any unrealistic expectations on myself or others?
What drained your energy?
Is there one thing I have deferred to next year that I can start right now?
If you could only bring a maximum of 10 things into the next year with you what would they be? (e.g. a feeling, a thing, a habit, a person)
Goal Setting
Write down your usual week. Then write down your ideal week.
Look at your usual week. Is there anything on it that you feel it’s not serving you best? What could you do to perhaps remove it from your schedule?
Look at your ideal week. What are the things you are not doing? Why?
The why is very important. Is it lack of time? Is it for a financial reason? Is it unrealistic?
Once you have chosen the things you want to let go of, and new things you want to embrace, for each, write down 3 actionable steps. If they seem to big, break them down even further. Then get on with actioning them.
Our life is precious and should not be wasted pleasing others, or worrying about what someone else thinks of your personal choices. Life is the only thing that we don’t know the expiry date of. Nothing should be deferred to “a better time in the future”. Nobody is guaranteed the future and therefore there is no better time than now. Once you declutter your mind and heart, starting to really focus on what sparks your soul (even if having to balance it with societal norms and needs), you will start living a happier and more fulfilling life.
So I invite you to set aside some time for self-reflection and goal setting so that you can chase your dreams knowing you have the power and will in you.
In terms of running goals, 2025 is oh so exciting. With a spring and an autumn Abbott World Marathon Major lined up (I will let you guess which ones) and a few Half Marathons sprinkled in between, I am looking forward to continuing to learn and grow as a runner. Other forms of movement will be a big part of the journey to keep me strong and flexible in both mind, body and spirit. This year I was also determined to organise my travel agenda in advance to make space for the trips I really wanted to do and I am so excited for my personal as well as work travels. Thinking about all the things I would like to achieve and do in the space of 365 days it can be overwhelming but planning and working towards smaller achievable milestones can help break down the fear and push you beyond your constructed limits.
If you made until the end I hope you took something away from my journey and that it inspires action to start the thing you have been thinking about. I'll say goodbye with the lyrics of one of my favourite bands, Palace: “Live well, you reap what you sow, the future is bright if you can ebb with the flow”.
Love, Emily
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